Method of eviscerating and cleaning fish



METHOD OF EVISCERATING AND CLEANING FISH Filed Nov. 14, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet 1 June 10, 1941. P. DANIELSSON METHOD OF EVISCERATING ANDCLEANING FISH Filed Nov. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ju /z 44/ (1.1. A0 WPatented June 10, 1941 2,245,329 I METHOD OF EVISCERATING AND CLEANINGFISH PaulDanielsson, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Gerh.Arehns Mekaniska Verktad, Stockholm, Sweden, a joint-stock company ofSweden Application 4 Claims.

November 14, 1938, Serial No. 240,361 In Sweden July 28, I937 Thisinvention relates to a method of eviscerating and cleaning fish, andmore particularly to that known method in which the belly of the fish isslit and spread open so that the cavity of the fish will be readilyaccessible for cleaning. It is known to remove the entrails of the fishthus slit and spread open by brushing. In this known method, however,the cavity of the fish has to be brushed forcibly in order to clean samethoroughly, thereby injuring the fish. Soft meaty parts thereof will betorn asunder, particularly when dressing delicate fish such as smallherrings. Moreover, even a forcible brushing does not fully ensure'acomplete removal of the entrails which have to be torn ofi at theanal-opening of the fish. The brush cannot always effect this,particularly ii the fish vary in size, which is oftentimes the case inthe same draught. This disadvantage is increased if the slitting cutterhappens to cut off the entrails at some distance from the anal-opening.Then it is almost impossible to remove the rear part of the entrails.Furthermore, a forcible brushing requires a stiff brush and as at timessmall fish have to be cleaned completely, the brush has to operaterelatively near to the fish-supporting means. Consequently the brushwill be very forcibly pressed into the cavity of larger fishes with theresult that they will be thereby damaged. It is an object of theinvention to remove such drawbacks.

Thus, for the purpose of obviating the. aforesaid disadvantages andnevertheless obtaining a more thorough cleaning of the cavity of thefish than has been possible hitherto, the belly of the fish is slit openafter the entrails and parts adhering thereto have been removed from,for instance, pulled out of, the cut head end of the fish, whereafterparts of the entrails still remaining within the cavity of the fish arebrushed or scraped out of said cavity in a direction convenientlytowards the head end of the fish. Thereby the long and stringy parts ofthe entrails are removed before the cleaning proper,

which can be executed in such a gentle and nevertheless effective mannerthat any blood running along the base of the cavity of the fish willalso be removed. By the pulling action above-menduring its dressing issuch that its split parts will easily be spread apart, partly under theinfluence of gravity.

In the accompanying drawings, an apparatus for performing the methodaccording to the in vention is shown by way of example.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline III-I]I of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the lineIV-IV of Fig. 1;

'Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the lineV-V of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 6 is an end view, on an enlarged scale, partly in section, taken onthe line VI-VI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the lineVII-VII of Fig. 1;

Figs. 8 and 9 are a side view and a plan view respectively of parts ofthe fish spreading device shown in Fig. 7.

As shown in Fig. 1, the fish are positioned in pockets 2 of an endlessconveyor l with their bellies turned in the direction of movement of theconveyor. On the stepwise movement of the conveyor, the head of the fishis moved towards a revolving cutter 3 and thereby cut off. Thereafter,the fish is moved into a position opposite to a screw or auger device 4by means of which the entrails and parts adhering thereto are pulled outof the out off head end of the fish and drop through an opening in thetable of the machine frame 8|. The fish thus partly eviscerated is movedfurther and passes a nozzle 5 that projects a jet of water on to thefish so that the latter is displaced longitudinally within its pocket 2until an abutment or stop 6 determines the longitudinal position of itsrear end with respect to the pocket. In this position within the pocket2, the fish is moved by the conveyor past acutter I which cuts off itstail end. At the delivery end of the conveyor I the belt passes over thesprocket 9!. so as to tilt the fish so that it drops on an inclinedremovable plate 25 and then past the chute 28, which is positioned abovethe endless conveyor 9, and with its back down, into the trough shapedendless conveyor 9 which is directed transversely to the conveyor l andis adapted to move the fish longitudinally along a straight path oftravel after the fish has passed the chute 28. The conveyor 9 advancesthe fish rear end forward first through an adjusting device ll havingerecting flaps 33 at the forward end of chute 28 and through a, guide 35against a rotating cutter I3 which slits the belly of the fish open fromits anal-opening to its out head end. On continued advancing of thefish, it is moved beneath a device which spreads its sides open andmoves said sides down against the sides of the chute of the conveyor 8.The fish thus spread open is moved beneath a revolving brush I5 whichcleans the cavity of the fish thoroughly. The fish thus cleaned and thebrush are secured by means of water projected thereonto through a nozzleI6. Thereafter the fish is delivered by the conveyor 9 to a slopinglattice I1 at the front end 82 of which any entrail parts that may bedelivered by the conveyor drop into a collecting bin I8 or the likewhile the fish slides over the lattice into a collecting bin 58.

The rotary screw 4 is introduced into the body of the fish andthereafter retracted so as to pull out its intestine together with otherparts of the entrails adhering thereto. This pulling may also beexecuted by means of the device as described in my copending applicationNo. 111,548, filed November 18, 1936, which has issued as Patent No.2,169,791, dated August 15, 1939, in which case the movement of theconveyor I may be continuous.

The abutment or stop 8 as shown in Fig. 3 may consist of a bottom plate20 and an upper inclined plate 2|. The fish, by the Jet of water ejectedthrough the nozzle 5, is displaced against the plate 2I and itsrear endis partly moved through the interspace 22 until said movement isarrested. Then the fish occupies such a position that, independently ofthe length of its caudal fin, the latter will be cut off at apredetermined thickness of the rear end of the fish when the latter ismoved past the cutter I.

The tilting and transferring device shown in Fig. 4 has a curved plate-23 which covers the forward end of the conveyor I and extends above thepocket 2 that is positioned opposite the nozzle 5. As each of thepockets 2 has a rearwardly bent flange 18 the fish will rest on itsbelly within the pocket until its back has passed the bottom edge 24 ofthe plate 23. Then the fish is tilted so that its back will be turneddownwards and the fish will drop onto the plate 25, which is removablyattached to the frame of the machine, and drop therefrom into a chute 28formed by two obliquely positioned plates and opening downwardly intopockets 26 of the conveyor 8. The pockets 28 are attached to plates 21which in turn are attached to a chain 28 which runs over sprocket wheels38. The plates 21 slide in guides 88. The pockets 28 have outwardly bentwalls 3| and drivers 32 which are positioned at such a distance from oneanother that even the largest fish intended to be handled may bepositioned between two consecutive drivers. The fish, irrespective ofits length, will drop into a pocket in such a position that its rear endwill occupy a position immediately behind a driver 32.

On the forward ends of the chute 28 are pivot'ally mounted guide fiapsforming the erector 33 which flaps are pulled towards one another bymeans of a spring 34 and adjust the fish so that its belly will beerected and directed vertically upwards when the fish is advancedbetween them. The fish is first retained by said erector fiaps until adriver 32 engages the head end of the fish and urges the fish forwardsin the chute 28.

In sequence to the fiaps 33 is arranged the above-mentioned guide 35,which has a slot which opensupwardly at the forward portion thereof andconstitutes the aforesaid guide I2.

The slitting cutter I3 projects downwards into the slot 38. The guide 35is pivotally mounted on a pin 38 and is urged downwards by a spring 38attached to an arm 8, secured to the ma-.

chine frame.

' The device for spreading the fish open is mounted in sequence to thecutter I3 and comprises a beam 31 .having a bevelled end which ispositioned adjacent to the edge of the cutter I3 an is adapted topenetrate the cavity of the fis as the latter is advanced and splitopen. The beam 31 is secured to an arm 40 on a bolt H which isvertically adjustable in a holder 42. The holder 42 is mounted on aguide 43 and is adjustable in the longitudinal direction of theconveyor. Into the beam 31 is introduced a yielding metal wire 44 whichsupports two wings 45 each of which has a pin 46 pivotally mounted in abracket 41. The wings 45 are inclined and shaped so that an interspacecorresponding to the opened sides of the fish is formed between thewings andthe side walls 3| of the conveyor pockets. Thus, as the fish isspread open by the wings 45 the sides of the fish are simultaneouslymoved down against the side walls of the conveyor pocket.

Since the brush I5 is positioned adjacent the wings 45, the fish ismoved beneath the brush when it is spread open by said wings. Before thesides of the fish are spread apart by the wings 45 they are retained inan upright position by two guide plates 48 which taper and merge intoflaps 48 (Fig. 8) at the wings 45 so that they project beneath thebrush. The brush I5 is driven in such a direction that it acts againstthe direction of movement of the conveyor. It commences its brushingaction at the anal-opening of the fish and continues said action towardsthe head end of the fish.

After the fish has passed the jet of water projected by the nozzle I8,it is delivered by the conveyor pocket to the inclined lattice I1 uponwhich it slides and drops into a collecting receptacle 58. In spite ofthe action of the jet of water it might happen that some parts of theentrails will be delivered by the conveyor 8 to the lattice I1. Suchparts will drop through the lattice or through an interspace 5| betweenthe bottom end of the lattice and the front edge of the bin I8. The fishwill, however, slide over said interspace.

For driving the apparatus there is provided a motor 52 which by means ofa chain 53 drives a shaft 54 the rotary movement of which is transmittedby a belt 55 and two pulleys 56 and 51 to'a shaft 58 carrying the cutterI3. By means of bevel gears 58 the rotary movement of the shaft 58 istransmitted to a shaft 88 that carries the cutter 1. The shaft 58 drivesby means of a crossed belt GI and two belt pulleys 62 and 63 a shaft 84that carries the brush I5. The brush I5 and the cutter I3 rotate inopposite directions. The rotary movement of the shaft 54 is by means ofa Geneva-wheel 65 transmitted to a shaft 66 which by means of bevelgears 81 drives the shaft 68 that carries the sprocket wheel 8I of theconveyor I. The conveyor 8 is driven by the sprocket wheel 38, securedto the shaft 68. The screw 4 is rotated continuously by a belt 84, shaft85 and belt 88, which is driven by the shaft 68. The spindle 81 of thescrew 4 is slidably mounted in bearings 88 and reciprocated by aneccentric I88 on a shaft I8I, driven by a chain I02 from shaft 54.

I claim:

1. The method of eviscerating and cleaning fish comprising the steps ofopening the head end of the fish and pulling the entrailsand parts adhering thereto out of said head end so that the entrails are pulledloose at the anal opening, then slitting the belly of the evisceratedfish and spreading its sides open, and thereafter lightly brushing theopened cavity of the fish to clean same without injury to the fiesh.

2. The method of eviscerating and cleaning fish comprising the steps ofopening the head end of the fish and pulling the entrails and partsadhering thereto out of said head end so that the entrails are pulledloose at the anal opening, then slitting the belly of the evisceratedfish commencing the slit at the anal-opening of the fish and spreadingthe sides of the fish open, and thereafter lightly brushing the openedcavity of the fish to'clean same without injury to the flesh.

3. The method of eviscerating and cleaning fish comprising the steps ofopening the head end of the fish and pulling the entrails and partsadhering thereto out of said head end so that the entrails are pulledloose at the anal opening, then moving the eviscerated fishlongitudinally and while so moving slitting the belly of the fish andspreading its sides open, and thereafter lightly brushing the spreadcavity of the fish to clean the opened cavity while moving the fishlongitudinally without injury to the flesh.

4. The method of eviscerating and cleaning fish comprising the steps ofopening the head end oi the fish and pulling the entrails and partsadhering thereto out of said head end so that the entrails are pulledloose at the anal opening, then moving the eviscerated fishlongitudinally head end rearwards, slitting the belly of the fish andspreading its sides open, and thereafter lightly brushing the spreadcavity to clean the opened cavity without injury to the fiesh.

PAUL DANIEISSON.

CERTIFICATE OF comcnon. Patent No. 2,215,529; June 10, 191mgPAULIDANIEIQ'SSON.

It is hereb certiifisq tha t the name; of the. 'dssignea'in.the'vnbovehumberod patent was erroneously described and specified asY'Aktiebolaget Gsrh. Arehns Mekaniska Verktad'f vhereas'said nameshdfild'havp been descr1b ed am specified as --Akt1ebolaget Gerh.ArehnsjMekgniska Verkstad, pf Stockholm} Sfladn, a

joint stock compny of Swedenas shownbythe record pf'assignmenta in thisoffic; page 2 first column, line' 75, strike; ou t ths w'or dsconstitutes the aforesaid guids 1 2 sud that the said Letters Patientshoul l 'qe resd this correci0n therein that the sums may corjnizzm tothe rqcoidiof the dase in the Patent Office. s

Signed and senlsd this zeth'da of August, A. 1). 191m,

Hen'ry VanAi's'dals, I (Seal) Acting commissipnex", of Patents.

